Cricket shrinks as West Indies launch new 60-ball tournament

Cricket's bid to find another innovative short-form of the game moved forward on Wednesday with Cricket West Indies' (CWI) announcement of a new 60-ball domestic competition.

The 6ixty, which will take place in August, will see six men's teams and three women's teams compete in a new T10 tournament that organisers say will feature "many of the best cricketers from around the world".

It is not the first T10 league -- one was sanctioned by the International Cricket Council in the United Arab Emirates in 2017, and the European Cricket Network offers a vast number of competitions for European club and national sides -- but it is the first by a full member of the ICC.

Cricket West Indies and their partners Caribbean Premier League say it will "see brand new innovations that will change T10 cricket and make the game even faster paced and action-packed".

The innovations include allowing each batting team just six wickets, at which point they are all out, rather than the traditional 10.

Each batting team has two powerplay overs, but they can "unlock" a third by hitting two sixes in the first 12 balls.

The first 30 balls of an innings will be bowled from one end as five separate overs before the action switches to the other end for the final 30 balls.

And if teams do not bowl their overs within the allotted time, a member of their team is removed from the field for the final six balls.

The public can also lend a hand in the run-scoring, with fans able to vote on the timing of a "Mystery Free Hit" where a batter cannot be dismissed by the bowler.

"I am really excited about the innovation, excitement and entertainment that it is going to bring to the fans," said CWI president Ricky Skerritt in a statement.

The first edition of The 6ixty will